This UK première produced by Hackney Empire and Royal & Derngate, Northampton will run at the Royal & Derngate from May 20 to June 11 2016 with a press night on Tuesday 24 May. The production will be at Hackney Empire from Wednesday 15 June to Sunday 3 July 2016.

On April Fool’s Day 1984, hours before his 45th birthday, Marvin Gaye was shot dead by his father in the shared family home they called the ‘Big House.’ What happened there – and whether it was murder or suicide – has been shrouded in mystery since.

Revealing what really happened during Marvin Gaye’s haunting final days, Soul is a parable about an American family prepared to do anything to promote and protect their children. Not just the story of Marvin Gaye, but of many a musical icon whose family life has been crushed by the effects of their stardom – a searing portrait of the pitfalls of the American dream.

Written by BAFTA and Evening Standard Award-winning Roy Williams (Sucker Punch, Days Of Significance) in close collaboration with members of the family of Marvin Gaye, Soul is a dramatic thriller about one of the most influential musicians of our time. It will be directed by James Dacre, Artistic Director of Royal & Derngate Northampton.